The Myth of Resource Efficiency: The Jevons Paradox (Earthscan Research Editions)

'The Jevons Paradox', which was first expressed in 1865 by William Stanley Jevons in relation to use of coal, states that an increase in efficiency in using a resource leads to increased use of that resource rather than to a reduction. This has subsequently been proved to apply not just to fossil fuels, but other resource use scenarios. For example, doubling the efficiency of food production per hectare over the last 50 years (due to the Green Revolution) did not solve the problem of hunger. The increase in efficiency increased production and worsened hunger because of the resulting increase in population. The implications of this in today's world are substantial. Many scientists and policymakers argue that future technological innovations will reduce consumption of resources; the Jevons Paradox explains why this may be a false hope. This is the first book to provide a historical overview of the Jevons Paradox, provide evidence for its existence and apply it to complex systems. Written and edited by world experts in the fields of economics, ecological economics, technology and the environment, it explains the myth of efficiency and explores its implications for resource usage (particularly oil). It is a must-read for policymakers, natural resource managers, academics and students concerned with the effects of efficiency on resource use. "'The Jevons Paradox', which was first expressed in 1865 by William Stanley Jevons in relation to use of coal, states that an increase in efficiency in using a resource leads to increased use of that resource rather than to a reduction. This has subsequently been proved to apply not just to fossil fuels, but other resource use scenarios." "This is the first book to provide a historical overview of the Jevons Paradox, provide evidence for its existence and apply it to complex systems. Written and edited by world experts in the fields of economics, ecological economics, technology and the environment, it explains the myth of efficiency and explores its implications for resource usage (particularly oil). It is a must-read for policymakers, natural resource managers, academics and students concerned with the effects of efficiency on resource use."--Jacket 'This extraordinary and timely book focuses on a basic problem involved in achieving major energy conservation. As the authors explain the Jevons Paradox emphasizes that simply reducing energy use in one system actually often results in increasing energy use in another system. The issue of sustainability cannot be handled just by looking for silver bullets ... ' DAVID PIMENTEL PROFESSOR EMERITUS DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY CORNELL UNIVERSITY 'Efficiency first does not give frugality second; it makes frugality less necessary. But if we seek frugality first we get efficiency se Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; List of figures and tables; Foreword; 1 Introduction; 2 Historical Overview of the Jevons Paradox in the Literature; 3 The Jevons Paradox: The Evolution of Complex Adaptive Systems and the Challenge for Scientific Analysis; 4 Empirical Evidence for the Jevons Paradox; 5 Conclusion; Index. 'The Jevons Paradox', which was first expressed in 1865 by William Stanley Jevons in relation to use of coal, states that an increase in efficiency in using a resource leads to increased use of that resource rather than to a reduction. This book provides a historical overview of the Jevons Paradox. It is suitable for policymakers.